Life hasn’t been ideal for 48-year-old Parnell Pollack, but he’s determined to turn things around.

As one of Onslow County’s veterans, many of whom live on the streets, Pollack came to the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Jacksonville on Tuesday for a Veteran Stand Down and Outreach Event. Hosted by the Onslow County Career Center from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., the event offered hot showers, meals, toiletries, clothing and a variety of resources to help more than 100 veterans get back on track.

To be eligible for the comfort goods, veterans had to speak with at least 15 organizations ranging from the Department of Veterans Affairs to Semper Fi Fund, a nonprofit that helps wounded service members and veterans. Veterans received help checking on their claims status, enrolling for care and becoming members for the many veteran service organizations present.

For Pollack, a Marine Corps veteran, the resources made available to him will hopefully help him find a job and get the disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs that he believes he rates, he said. By receiving his compensation, he said, he anticipates life becoming a lot easier because financial hardship is preventing him from reaching his full potential.

“Not being able to pay your bills is very stressful,” he said. “If it wasn’t for my family I would be on the curb, freezing. They’re showing me tough love, but sometimes that is what you need.”

If it weren’t for events like the stand down, Pollack said he doesn’t know where he would turn for help. He is hopeful that things will turn around.

“There’s people worse off than I am,” he said. “I didn’t come here for the stuff they were giving away. I came here for the information. The positive feedback here has been the best part for me. It makes me hopeful that I can overcome the issues in my life.”

Kelley Hamilton, the coordinator of the event, said she wished that more veterans would’ve come to the stand down and learn about the resources available to help them, she said.

“It’s a one-stop shop for veterans to come and see the available resources that are out there,” she said. “It also helps us identify the homeless vets so we can do our best to help them get off of the streets.”

Organizing the event took approximately six months and yielded more than 50 booths offering information on Department of Veterans Affairs resources, schools, nonprofit resources and crisis response.

The Veterans Benefits Law Firm, which was represented at the standown, specializes in assisting and ensuring veterans receive disability compensation they rate, according to Kristen Swinson, a paralegal for the firm.

Page 2 of 3 - “We like to help the vets because a lot of them have been denied or are not receiving benefits,” Swinson said. “Most of the vets know they can fight and have been fighting for a long time. Some of them have actually lost hope because they’ve been strung along by the system for so long. ...It’s just great to help them regain hope.”

Helping veterans get the disability compensation they deserve is something that Swinson said makes her job worth it.

“I wish veterans would come to events like this,” Swinson said. “There’s a lot that don’t know we are here to help and point out mistakes on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs. There’s a lot of services besides us that are just here to help.”

One veteran who said he will never miss another stand down is Ramon Torres, 54, who was homeless when he first moved to Jacksonville. Because of the Onslow County Career Center, he said he now has a job, a place to live and more importantly, a purpose.

“If it wasn’t for all of these services, I’d probably still be living behind the Greyhound station,” Torres said. “It’s awesome the way they take care of us. Nobody should miss events like this.”

Onslow community outreach

- Homeless Shelter - Provides temporary, emergency shelter for homeless individuals and families Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. and weekends from 4 p.m. until 7 a.m. The shelter can be reached at 910-347-3227 and is located at 600 Court St. in Jacksonville.

- Soup Kitchen - Offers warm meals Monday through Friday from 10:45 until 11:45 a.m. The soup kitchen is also located at 600 Court St. in Jacksonville and can be reached at 910-347-3227.

- Caring Community Clinic - Provides medical care for adults who lack health insurance. The clinic is located at 200 Doctors Drive in Jacksonville and can be reached at 910-346-6149.

- Goshen Medical Center – Provides medical care to individuals and families in Jacksonville and operates on a sliding fee scale for servicees. The hours of the center are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is located at 1200 Hargett St. in Jacksonville. The center can be reached at 910-219-1082.

- Department of Social Services Food and Nutrition - Provides food stamps to low-income families or individuals. No address is required for enrollment. The department is at 1915 Onslow Drive in Jacksonville. To reach the department, call 910-219-4812.

- Salvation Army Thrift Store – Provides discounted furniture and clothing to individuals and families. The store is located at 403A Center St. in Jacksonville and can be reached at 910-577-5060.

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- United Way Center for Financial Stability – Helps individuals of Onslow County build financial stability by bringing together resources and empowering people. The center is located at 8 Ruth St. in Jacksonville and can be reached at 910-347-2646.